Refrigeration heat exchange circuit



May 14, 1957 G. w. A. LANCE 2,791,891

REFRIGERATION HEAT EXCHANGE CIRCUIT Filed June 22, 1955 ATTORNEY REFRIGERATION HEAT EXCHANGE CIRCUIT General W. Ace Lance, Phoenix, Ariz. Application June 22, 1955, Serial No. 517,148

2 Claims. (Cl. 62-11755) This invention pertains to improvements in heat exchange circuits for refrigeration apparatus and is particularly directed to an improved method of conveying the heat from the compressed refrigerant to the coolant medium provided by cooling water in the system.

One of the objects of this invention is to avoid direct contact in a heat exchanger of the extremely high temperature refrigerant coming from the compressor directly through the heat exchanger with the cooling water so as to avoid the thermal jolt in said heat exchanger which causes the break down of the cooling water and the collection of scale and lime deposits in the heat exchanger.

Still another object of this invention is to initially pre-cool the high temperature refrigerant coming from the compressor by contacting the heat exchanger with partially pre-cooled refrigerant coming from another heat exchanger in direct contact with the cooling water of the system.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved refrigeration heat exchange circuit incorporating a plurality of three heat exchangers, the first of which interchanges heat from the hot refrigerant coming from the compressor with further refrigerant that has been pre-cooled in a second heat exchanger cooled by the coolant water and then to provide a third heat exchanger also cooled by the coolant water coming directly from the water circulating pump to finally cool the refrigerant just prior to entering the receiver and discharge out through the expansion valve back to the evaporator coil.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from a detailed description of the drawings in which:

The figure of the drawing represents in diagrammatic form a refrigerant heat exchange circuit incorporating the features of this invention.

As an example of one embodiment of this invention there is shown in the diagram a refrigeration heat exchange circuit including a refrigerant compressor discharging the hot compressed gases out through the line 11 into the chamber 12 of the first heat exchanger A from whence the refrigerant then passes out through a line 13 to the heat exchange chamber 14 in the second heat exchanger B. From the chamber 14 the refrigerant gas passes out through the line 15 to the chamber 16 of the first heat exchanger A and then out through a line 17 to the chamber 18 of the third heat exchanger C.

The refrigerant leaving the chamber C then passes out through the line 19 to the usual receiver 20 and through the line 21 to the expansion valve 22 where it discharges into the evaporator 23 for chilling this cooling coil and then finally returning through a line 24 into the compressor 10.

The coolant water is derived from a source of supply such as a reservoir 25 or tap supply through the suction line 26 to the coolant pump 27 which discharges the coolant directly into the chamber 29 of the third heat exchanger C. From here the coolant then passes out through the line 30 to the chamber 31 of the second "ice heat exchangerB and then finally returns to the reservoir 25 or is disposed at a remote point from the coolant system as. desired.

In this arrangement it is apparent that the extremely hot refrigerant in the line 11 and in the chamber 12 is brought into heat exchange contact with partially cooled refrigerant in the chamber 16 of the first heat exchanger A. In the heat exchanger B the partially cooled refrigerant in the line 13 and chamber 14 is first contacted by coolant water in the heat exchange chamber 31 of the second heat exchanger before it then again passes out through line 15 in the chamber 16 of the first heat exchanger A.

In the heat exchanger C the refrigerant is finally cooled by thermal heat exchange between chambers 18 and 29 as the coldest coolant water directly from the pump 27 and line 28 is applied into the chamber 29. There has thus been provided an arrangement wherein the thermal shock of extremely hot refrigerant first coming in contact with partially cooled other refrigerant rather than coming in to direct contact with the coolant water. It will be further noted that the refrigerant at no time at very high temperature comes in direct contact with the coldest coolant water but rather with partially warmed water in the heat exchanger B. Finally, the refrigerant is completely cooled by heat exchanger C by contact directly with the coldest input coolant water after the refrigerant has been initially pre-cooled by engagement with partially cooled refrigerant in the first heat exchanger A and by further pre-cooling in the heat exchanger B.

Thus in this arrangement the thermal shock against the coolant water in the heat exchanger is avoided so as not to break down the coolant water and cause lime deposit and clogging of the heat exchangers. Greatly improved operation and efliciency thus results for the refrigerant system and a great reduction in maintenance cost are also obtained.

While the apparatus herein disclosed and described constitutes a preferred form of the invention, it is also to be understood that the apparatus is capable of mechanical alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention and that such mechanical arrangement and commercial adaptation as fall within the scope of the appendant claims are intended to be included herein.

Having thus fully set forth and described this invention what is claimed and desired to be obtained by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A refrigeration heat exchange circuit including a refrigeration compressor having its pressure discharge connected to a first chamber of a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger having a first chamber connected to receive refrigerant from said first chamber of the first heat exchanger, means connecting refrigerant discharge from the first chamber of the second heat exchanger to a second chamber of the first heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger having a first chamber connected to receive refrigerant from the second chamber of said first heat exchanger, means for connecting refrigerant discharge from the first chamber of said third heat exchanger through a receiver, expansion valve, and evaporator to the suction input of said refrigeration compressor, a coolant supply connected directly to a second chamber of said third heat exchanger, a second chamber in said second heat exchanger connected to receive discharged coolant from said second chamber of said third heat exchanger, and means for disposing of coolant from said second chamber of said second heat exchanger.

2. A refrigeration heat exchange circuit including a first, a second, and a third heat exchanger, a compressor, a coolant supply, and means for connecting compressed hot gas discharge from said compressor in series with said first, then second, then again said first, and then References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Webber Sept. 25, 1945 Crawford Feb. 7, 1950 Schlitt Mar. 28, 1950 

